


Get That Happy Feeling

by lady_ragnell



Series: Show Business 'verse [4]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-01-03
Updated: 2012-01-03
Packaged: 2017-10-28 20:11:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,064
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/311730
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lady_ragnell/pseuds/lady_ragnell
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Merlin is a bit worried when he gets the first script for season four of <i>Kilgharrah's Adventures</i>.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Get That Happy Feeling

Merlin stares at the first script for the fourth season of _Kilgharrah’s Adventures_. “An egg? They find an _egg_?” He flips to the end. “And they keep it?”

“As our audience grows, the characters must grow with them. Our audience has always been more adult than teen anyway,” Gaius intones, but his mouth is twitching in the way that means he really wants to laugh at Merlin.

“Right, great, character growth, I am all for that,” Merlin babbles, and looks around the table for sympathy from _anyone_. Nimueh and Morgana are wearing near-identical smirks, Anthony Hora looks positively gleeful, and Arthur is looking speculative. The same sort of speculative he looked before they somehow acquired a kitten two years ago. “But shouldn’t they, you know, go off to dragon college together or something? And not become gay dragon daddies? Yet, at least? They could get married? I mean, what kind of example are we giving our audience, having them adopt an illegitimate dragon baby?”

Gwen pats his hand and he has one second of hoping for some support before she charges on. “The egg hatches in the second episode, and we’re in talks with Freya Lake to do the voice, she’s surprisingly good at voicing children.”

“And we have some preliminary sketches,” says Anthony Hora, setting them down on the table. It’s an adorable little white thing, dwarfed by the adult dragons based on the size comparison.

Merlin sort of wants to coo at it, but he still has a point, well, less of a point and more of a fear that Arthur is going to get ideas in his head. “ _Illegitimate baby dragons_ ,” he insists. “All of the baby dragons are going to laugh and call it names.”

“Don’t worry, poppet,” says Morgana, “the wedding episode is the season finale.”

“It’s what,” says Merlin, because now Arthur looks even _more_ speculative. “No, really, can’t this be like one of those high school shows where nobody ever gets any older? Like the Babysitter’s Club or something?”

“Think of it more like Glee,” Gwen offers, because she knows his weaknesses.

That doesn’t mean he’s going to allow himself to be mollified. “But those characters move on, they get new ones!”

“The audience cares about Kestrel and Gary,” Gaius points out. “The show is built entirely around the two of you, and it would be disastrous to suddenly demote you to secondary characters.”

“But a _baby_? Surely there are other ways for them to move on.”

Morgana keeps on smirking. “Sweetie, it’s like you think you live in a world where you get any say whatsoever in these scripts. I’m afraid Kestrel is going to be a daddy. The baby’s name is Aithusa, isn’t that pretty?”

Merlin is doomed. He is doomed and based on how delighted Arthur looks with the sketch of their illegitimate dragon baby there is going to be another action figure on their shelf of show memorabilia the second one is released. And the fandom is going to explode. People are going to start asking he and Arthur about babies instead of winking and nudging and talking about wedding bells and Arthur is going to get _ideas_. Not that Merlin isn’t entirely okay with most of Arthur’s ideas, including maybe these ones, because he really likes the kitten, but he was hoping to have a few more years before the baby issue came to the table. He decides to blame Morgana. It’s generally a safe bet. “Very pretty,” he says weakly, because along with blaming Morgana inevitably comes complete capitulation.

“I’m glad we have your approval,” says Gaius, far too amused, and then goes on to talk about other character arcs for the season and the other characters before dismissing them all, scripts in hand.

It takes Arthur less than ten seconds to catch up with Merlin when he flees the room, and Merlin waits for the inevitable teasing to begin, but instead Arthur just walks alongside him with a huge grin on his face. Just as Merlin is about to go on the offensive (well, transparently change the subject, he doesn’t know if that counts as going on the offensive), Arthur finally speaks. “You think marriage definitely ought to come before children, then?”

“My mum would kill me,” Merlin answers on automatic. “Your dad probably would too.” Arthur’s grin widens improbably; Merlin realizes what he just implied and scrambles to change the subject at least a bit. “So, you don’t think this storyline is completely mad?”

“It’s a bit mad, perhaps, but there’s really no such thing as dragon college and there’s only so many times Gary or Kestrel can get injured and need the other to stage a rescue before the audience gets bored.”

“Teen gay dragon dads,” Merlin mutters rebelliously. “They belong on Dragon MTV.”

Arthur slings an arm around his shoulders. “At least you know with Morgana and Nimueh writing it won’t be saccharine. Are you really so opposed to it?”

Merlin’s about to go off on how terrifying the fans are going to get with a hatchling and a wedding all in one season when he glances over at Arthur. For all Arthur’s teasing him, he looks rather serious as well, and Merlin can’t bring himself to slam the idea completely. “It’s all moving very fast,” he offers, voice small.

“It’s been four years.”

“Yeah, so I could see the getting married, maybe,” he says, and he knows what he’s implying but Arthur’s smile suddenly looks like it’s going to break his face so he won’t regret it. “Just … a bit soon for kids. I mean, teen dragon pregnancy, it’s an epidemic problem, you know, we shouldn’t be encouraging it.”

Arthur laughs. “You’re ridiculous.” He kisses Merlin briefly on the temple. “I love you, you know that.”

Merlin swallows. “Yeah.”

Arthur stops them walking, and wraps his arms around Merlin’s neck, and for a panicky second Merlin thinks he’s going to propose right there in the corridors of Camelot Production Company when Morgana and Gwen and _Anthony Hora_ could walk in on them at any moment. He nearly passes out when Arthur leans closer to whisper in Merlin’s ear. “I’m glad to know you aren’t opposed to the idea,” he says, very smug indeed, and then he pulls away and walks off whistling.

Merlin stares dumbly after him for a few seconds before trotting to catch up.


End file.
